Self Love

It seems to me that self love is the key which unlocks the infinite love of the Universe. It's the way to lasting peace and happiness.

Over the last few months I've chosen to visit different cities. I've met incredible people and have had amazing experiences. In my journey I've come to realize the importance of inner strength in the sense of being true to yourself. Being ok with who you are and where you are and trusting yourself.

There is no perfect place, there is no perfect person and the only way to true peace and contentment is to be totally committed to going inward and honoring ourselves ... because looking for it in a person or a place is going to lead you in circles! Perhaps there will be peace and fun for a while but it is not sustainable. The work is in being committed to yourself and consistently taking actions which nurture the Divine essence inside of you.

So with this idea of self love I'm living in the question, "what would it feel like to date yourself? Even if you are in a relationship with someone, what if you still choose to date yourself?" This is my current practice. It's also helpful because it gives me the perspective of loving and honoring myself which is one of the most important practices one can have because if you can't do it for yourself it is not really possible to do it for another.

art by Kelsey Isla Moon

Living and learning,
xoxo,
Rebecca 

Saying Hello to Fear

To open or not to open? that was the question last night.

I am in a relationship with someone who I have come to love very much. The challenge for me when it comes to love like this is that it feels scary. In the past I have either run from this type of intimate connection or self sabotaged the situation so it ends. This is all connected to deep wounds, I feel certain - I just can't remember all those experiences right now.

The moment it feels like my lover is upset with me, or that they might leave/abandon me, or lie to me I feel a desire to close off my heart and run in the other direction. Sometimes this defense mechanism of mine is so subtle, I don't even know I am doing it, not until someone reflects it back to me. So what to do with this new found awareness? How do you fully open yourself to another and feel safe at the same time... is that even possible?

I want to love. I want to feel my heart. I am ready to move past the fears that hold me down from experiencing life to the fullest. I don't know if I really understand love at all or what it feels like to have your heart open fully to another - YET!

While I may not understand matters of the heart at this moment I am ready to dive into this mystery and I am willing to learn.

For now the steps I can take in learning "How to Say Hello to Fear":

1) Continue to acknowledge my fears and emotions by writing them out.

2) Seek support from friends if something feels too much to handle alone.

3) Adopt positive affirmations and say them daily.

AFFIRMATIONS: I am willing to see things differently. I am a strong, loved worthy woman. I choose to live life fully and joyfully.

*NOTE - I noticed when saying these affirmations, my body had a physical reaction to them as well as my mental thoughts. Fascinating. Words and beliefs are so powerful. It must mean something.

4) Continue a daily practice of meditation/prayer. Ask God, angels, guides for help with what is coming up for me.

Seems like a good start to me!

Getting Motivated - Personal Mission Statement and Goals

The call of my soul is too strong to run from it any longer - it's time to begin writing on my blog again!

My life (all of life really) is full of twists and turns - some exciting and blissful while others are traumatic and painful. Right now, I choose to look at all of it, feel every part of it and continue to grow through my desire to learn from every bit of it.

For me - life is all about growing - evolving in to the best me I can be while bringing benefit to everything I touch along the way.

PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT:
Within the last year of my life I came upon a practice that includes a beautiful "Prayer of Motivation" and it goes like this:

"I am here to manifest the wisdom that rests within.

I am here to radiate my loving compassion into the world.

I am here to gather the skill and the power to bless and empower all."

This is a part of my personal mission statement. I aspire to tap into the essence of who I really am.

GOALS FOR ACCOMPLISHING THIS:

1) To develop a stronger relationship with the unseen world - this includes God, my soul (or what some refer to as our higher self), angels, spirit guides, nature spirits and more. I believe there is a very powerful and magical world just waiting to be discovered, and I am ready for this journey.

This makes me think of the story when the tall European ships first approached the early Native Americans, it was such an ‘impossible’ vision in their reality that their highly filtered perceptions couldn’t register what was happening, and they literally failed to ‘see’ the ships. Well, I'm ready to see the ships :)

2) To better understand what "sacred" means and the power or rituals.

3) Be healthy - meaning do no harm to myself, especially with what I put into my body.

4) Join the Joyride - acknowledge what I know makes me feel good and joyful and make time in my life to do those things! It's time to dance.

5) Forgive - so much that could be said about this one. For now I will leave it with my aspiration to be a compassionate human being. Like the Prayer of Motivation says, "I am here to radiate my loving compassion into the world."

6) Write - So much learning happens in writing. It helps me to put my self obsession on paper so they have a place to live, besides in my head! Writing about them gives them less power and me more control to take action steps to be empowered by my thoughts rather than a victim.

Here we go! Onward and upward.   

Reflecting

A reunion with my Joy Rider friends and some sunshine is just the medicine I needed!

I have been blessed with the opportunity to reunite with Joshua and David (the guys who left Louisiana with me back in May) and reminisce about our 2012 Joy Rider Journey!

During the time I have spent on Maui with Joshua and David, we have reflected on our lives since leaving Louisiana. I find myself in awe of the magic that has filled our lives… even though we asked for it!

I first met Joshua and David a year ago. I went to a new year’s eve party Joshua hosted. A few weeks after, I went to his place a “Project Topisaw” planning meeting, which is where I met David for the first time. Topisaw is the name given to a piece of land in Mississippi that was going to be turned into a sustainable farm, and there were a number of folks gathering together to make this happen.

At the same time the boys were working on Project Topisaw, I was working with someone to develop a business called Emergence Earth.

The plan for Emergence Earth was to be an online portal for the conscious community to use as a resource center and connect with likeminded people. We focused on four key areas: 1) Sustainable Living, 2) Natural Health and Wellness, 3) Personal & Spiritual Development and 4) Community and Culture.

Emergence Earth had BIG plans, including production of a yearly festival/gathering, a social network, online market place, news and more!

After this meeting, Joshua, David and I became best friends and spent most of our days together, researching the promising world of sustainable living, conscious community and enlightened mind!

For a number of reasons Emergence Earth and Project Topisaw did not unfold according to plan, and the three of us found ourselves having to walk away from the very thing we poured our hearts into.

So, the boys and I found ourselves with a big question mark in our minds eye, because Topisaw and Emergence Earth were our dreams… our passion. It is what we wanted to manifest more than anything!

So, we decided to surrender and open ourselves to the possibilities of our dreams once more. Since everything seemed to be falling away anyhow, the three of us decided to fully let go… we sold everything we owned, quite our “real world” jobs, and headed west!

Little did we know, a year later, we would find ourselves living a joy riders dream!

Currently, the boys have connected with a SUPER amazing, enlightened, powerful woman named Prema Dasara, who owns a sustainable homestead/retreat center on Maui. She is also a Tibetan Buddhist Dharma and Dance Teacher who travels the world sharing the wisdom of the Realm of the Divine Feminine. The boys manage the property during her travels as well as assist her with various projects around the Tara Dahtu non-profit organization (find out more at http://www.taradhatu.net/).

And me… well, I connected with an amazing man in Portland… couple of men really, who are big players in the West Coast Festival Culture. They are producers of sacred art and music festivals, conscious gatherings and ceremonies.

I am very grateful to be involved with people in Portland who are full of integrity and bring benefit to all they touch!

Find out more about these project by visiting the website below:

/http://www.belovedfestival.com/

http://www.nye-inspire.me/

/http://illumination.org.in/

So there it is… a simple moment to reminisce of our Joy Riding Journey! Moment by moment, little by little, the three of us continue adventuring into the magic and mystery of the unknown!

Dare to Dream... Because it might just come true!

After a very full two months, I am finally back from festivals and settled in a fabulous home in Portland, Oregon!

Since my last post I have attended Illumination Sacred Fire Circle, Beloved Festival, Burning Man and moved into my new home!

Now that I am grounded, I have time to process these experiences, and continue dreaming!

When I choose to leave Louisiana, I spent a lot of time praying and meditating on this decision. It felt like a really big risk at the time, with a lot of unanswered questions... but I had a dream, and I wanted to give it a chance to come true!

Join the Joy Ride was and is the dream! I have discovered that the website Josh, David and I stared was not really a business, it was an intention, a declaration... a dream! At first I thought that the Joy Ride was about shining a light on people who are changing the world through their projects, organizations, etc., but it has proven to be about freedom and dreaming!

Today, I am overjoyed because I dared to dream. I allowed myself to open to the possibility of these dreams being a reality, and now... I am living it!

Over the last four months, I have traveled to some of the most beautiful places in the U.S., I was at Mount Shasta for the summer solstice, attended the Oregon Country Fair (AND got to be there at night time), Illumination, Beloved, Burning Man, made some amazing new friends, entered a beautiful relationship, landed a gig working for a great organization and I live in a gorgeous home with three goddesses! Yes! Yes! Yes! and there is more to come!

This journey has lead me to a place where I am fully supported and loved! My heart is full and my mind is learning to let go of fears and stories that enslave me and prevent my dreams from coming true.

My Dream Process:
First - I ask myself what do I want? I have to give myself permission and time to dream... and write it down!

For me, after I dream, I typically have a little voice in my head that begins to tell me all the reasons why my dream is not obtainable. This is usually coming from a place of fear and doubt. Breaking the spell of fear and doubt is not an easy thing to do... I have to go through a daily process of prayer and/or writing in order to stay in alignment with trust, faith and true freedom. For me, this process takes courage and strength... being honest with myself is a big commitment, but it is one that pays off in a really BIG way!

Another important element for me in this process is surrounding myself with loving, supportive friends, who will listen to me when I find myself entertaining the stories of my ego. Sometimes, I just don't see what I don't see. It can be challenging to see how I get in my own way and prevent myself from receiving what I declare I want. So thank goodness for all the amazing angels in my life who disguise themselves as my beloved friends!!

And lastly, you gotta let go!!! I am recognizing that all of these gifts came (and continue to come) into my life because I have made space for them to show up by letting go and releasing my attachment to them. Easier said than done, but it is key!

So yeah! There it is! Dream on... and I'll meet you on the other side of the rainbow :)

Many Blessings

Where do I begin? So many things have been happening and unfolding so quickly, that I have not sat in front of my computer to write like this is a while.

Today marks the fifth week that Josh, David and I have been in Portland. Since arriving in this city I have met some of the most beautiful, creative, inspiring, loving people, and many wonderful opportunities and situations have been presented.

I leave in 3 days for Tidewater Falls to attend Illumination. This will be the first time I have ever experienced a 3 day sacred fire circle journey. I will stay at the Tidewater because that it is the same location for the Beloved Festival, which I am also attending/working. Beloved will be my first 4 day sacred art and music festival as well! With Josh and David leaving for Hawaii in 4 days and me opening myself to these juicy inward self journeys, I find myself with a desire to sit and process all of this!  :)

Many many blessings...

LIVING
The first amazing situation that presented itself to me was the house where I am living at the moment.  About three+ weeks ago I was searching craigs list, looking for a reasonably priced room to rent.

I found a place in a neighborhood I really liked because it's location is near Mt. Tabor. I emailed the man about the room and we scheduled a time for me to view the space. When we connected, he expressed that he wanted to rent the room to someone who would be around longer than the summer, and he invited me to couch surf for a couple of weeks in the office/guest room in the basement. So that is exactly what I did.

When the two weeks were up, we had a conversation about the living situation. This wonderful man has extended my stay in the house, and I have been surrounded by two (this man and his roommate) of the most beautiful people in Portland. I am so blessed and so grateful for these people. This trip is one of the most intense, expansive, challenging  and exciting times of my life, and these guys are playing a major role in my journey. I LOVE you guys and I am very grateful for you in my life!


WORKING/PLAYING

The second awesome unfolding that has happened in Portland is my current working/playing situation. I have been blessed with the opportunity to work with the producer of a sacred art and music festival called Beloved.

When Josh and David announced their plans to travel to Hawaii, I started looking for a way to ground myself, draw in some finances, and walk the path of higher purpose.

I had no idea what that would look like and honestly, I was a bit nervous about the idea of the guys leaving. Even though I was nervous and uncertain, I knew we were all being guided to the exact place that would serve our higher good.

After Josh and David's announcement, I went for a walk in the Portland Rose Text Garden and while strolling among the roses a man's name flashed in my minds eye. It was the name of a man that I met at an event called Soul Fire for the Gulf back in April in New Orleans. I remember chatting with him for maybe an hour at the event. I told him about the Joy Ride journey, and he told me to look him up if I ever found myself in Portland, OR because that is where he lives. I grabbed my phone, and sure enough, there was his cell number. I called him and we connected in person that evening, and he has been bringing beauty and magic into my life ever since!

This man is the owner of an event production company and he is the one putting on Illumination. I am so blessed and so grateful to be in a position to attend the fire circle! There is so much more to say about the experiences and learning he is bringing into my life, but that is an entire other blog post!

It was through this man that I was connected with the producer of the Beloved Festival. One evening, while chatting with my new friend, I expressed to him an interest to attend the festival and the next thing I knew, the Beloved Festival producer was calling my cell phone.

 Ever since that phone call, I have been side by side with the Beloved team, learning and assisting everyone in any way possible. I am honored to be a part of an event and group of people that do everything in alignment with honesty, integrity and compassion for all. THANK YOU!!


There are many more blessings I am not mentioning, but I stop every day to give thanks for them as well. There have been many people who have shown up in my life with opportunities for me to draw in some extra cash so I can afford these events. I have done everything from gardening, cleaning houses to babysitting. If there is an opening in my schedule and I can serve in some way, I am always down for it! So lots of gratitude for those people and opportunities too! :)

This is a very exciting and important week coming up. They Joy Riders journey as one unit of three is about to split. We are all diving into the unknown. Much learning and many exciting experiences await us now!

The Unfolding Continues

The best way I can describe my purpose or intention with this journey is like this... I have a feeling, deep in my soul, that I am on this trip to go to places and meet people that are all part of a bigger plan. The plan being, my life's purpose. By saying, "yes" to the pull I felt in my heart to leave Louisiana and travel with Josh and David I am discovering what brings me true joy, and how I can best be of service to the greater good of all.

It is important for me to remember that the best way I can serve is to first come into alignment with my heart, with God, and from that centered, connected space I am able to be of pure service to all that I meet.

This is a trip of healing and discovering my passion and joy. This is what it looks like for me to "follow my bliss." This is understanding my purpose and learning how I can be of service in this life.

WHERE I FIND MYSELF ON THE JOURNEY
Last week I decided to spend the summer in Portland. This is a very magical place, and I feel that there is so much to experience and learn here.

Portland is saturated with tons of artists. Art of all types can be found here, music, dance, sculpting, painting... even food is as an art form here! This place and the people are activating my artistic self and opening a space for my creative expression to emerge.

ALLOWING ALL THE GOODNESS TO FLOW 
Over the weekend, I went hiking on the Colombia River Gorge, and sat by a creek where I has a nice 20 minute prayer/meditation session. My prayer sounded a little something like this, "God, if I am to be in Portland for the summer, can you help me find a way to sustain my life (make money) and a sacred space to live?"

The first stop we made after the hike was a place called the Vista House. David and I were taking a picture and a woman who worked there came up to us and offered to take a photo of the two of us. This led to conversation about our journey, and before I knew it, this lady wanted to introduce me to the Vista House Executive Director (ED). The conversation with the ED turned into a meeting, scheduled for a day after the 4th of July to discuss working on their communications and event planning. Who knows what will come of that... I am just so grateful to have received an answer to my prayer and saw it as confirmation that I am on the right path.

Over the weekend I took action steps to find a place to live and work. It is important for me meet my basic needs and keep a sense of independence. Yesterday I met an AMAZING person through craigslist who will allow me to stay with them for a few weeks!

More and more continues to unfold and bring gratitude and expansion into my life.

It is exciting, challenging and most of all, JOYFUL!

Today, in this moment, I am grateful, excited, peaceful and oh so happy :)

What a Trip! Give me Good Loving!

Two weeks ago I left Baton Rouge and began the "Joy Ride" journey. What I thought was our mission has changed... at least for me.

This is no longer a journey about connecting with other people, who are becoming the change they wish to see in the world... this is my journey of becoming the change that will bring more peace, balance and love into my life.

It is only from that place of unconditional love and acceptance of myself that I can be of service to anyone else. And really, EVERYONE is becoming the change, whether they give themselves credit for it or not.

I am realizing that it is not just the people who have companies or projects that are a great service to the world, but it is the people I meet every day that do something kind (even if it is just a smile)... it's the individuals who have housed me on this journey, bought me a meal, had conversations with me, wrote a sweet message on my Facebook, or recommended good places to hike, camp, etc.  

Those people have impacted my life greatly and left a beautiful mark on my heart! THEY are changing me, through those moments and acts of kindness! THANK YOU :)

Anyone looking from the outside at this journey might think that it looks like so much fun, and it is, but it has definitely had uncomfortable and challenging moments. I see now, that as long as I am living and breathing, there will always be a circumstance around the corner that will be challenging... that is just life. I feel like my soul signed up for that when it wanted to come to earth.

So, I ask myself,  "What do I do with these challenging, uncomfortable moments?"

When I started this blog, I titled it "Desire to Learn" because deep in my heart I knew all difficult situations in my life could be turned around and seen in a different light if only I chose to grow from the situations.

My life has felt so unbearable at times... lots of suffering and sadness. I am learning that it doesn't have to stay that way. I realize grief, depression, loneliness, anger, etc. are all unavoidable human emotions. Sometimes I just have to stay in that space and process it. After I give myself that time and space to process, those experiences turn out to be some of the greatest gifts in my life. Maybe that sounds like a funny thing to say, but if I never felt those dense emotions, I don't think I could appreciate it when I feel joyful, content, and peaceful. I don't know if I would even be able to RECOGNIZE the good feelings. You can't have a bright day without a dark night, right?

So all this brings me to my mission on this joy ride journey... this is MY time! My time to learn to love myself unconditionally and accept who I am now! All is perfect and well, and I am oh so grateful!!!

BIG LOVE <3
Joy Rider Becky :)

Three Tips to Bring More Joy into Your Life

After an entertaining evening of laughter yoga at Tech Love in Albuquerque, NM, I find myself reflecting on joy and how to bring more of it into my life experience.

The whole point of laughter yoga is to let go and experience that carefree feeling of love and joy… the kind of carefree joy we see in little children before they grow up and become jaded. Laughter yoga is one way a person can bring more lightheartedness into his or her life but it certainly is not the answer for everyone.

There are a million ways to lift your spirits and experience a more blissful, peaceful, meaningful life, and I have found three simple steps that always keep my spirits lifted and help me stay aligned in my heart.

I heard these three tips on a YouTube video of Selly Yates, and I have applied them to my life ever since. I love these tips because they apply to EVERYONE, no matter your sex, nationality, belief system, race, etc.

1)   Do no harm, beginning with yourself

2)   Do everything you do with honesty and integrity

3)   Find your human joy, do it, and give gratitude for the experience

Yea…. So there you have it! This is something that I find myself remembering tonight and I just wanted to put it out there!

Bring on the Venus Transit LOVE!!! :)

It's All About Love

Love is such a powerful thing, and I have spent my entire life seeking to understand it. Love has me very emotional right now and ready to release and heal my past.

I woke up this morning and I could not stop crying. Since my first day in Austin at a baby blessing at Amala Foundation I have been feeling deep rooted past hurts come up in my heart.

It all started when Josh, David and I arrived at a friend’s baby blessing/ baby shower. This was an event unlike anything I have ever experienced. It was certainly not your typical baby shower.

At one point of the blessing, the couple sat in the middle of a circle of friends and the group shared their intentions and words of blessings for the baby. There was so much love in the room. It was amazing!

What really brought up my past was when the soon to be father looked into the eyes of his partner and expressed his heart. When that happened, I really couldn’t think, I could only feel and the feeling brought tears to my eyes. What a feeling to be loved like that… unconditionally. And what a blessed baby to be brought into the world so loved and so wanted.

I couldn’t help but think about my life’s journey after the celebration. I do not have a clear memory of my infancy, but I am pretty sure, my mom and dad were not at a place where they looked at each other in the eyes and professed their love for each other and their soon baby to be.  Based on what I do remember, it was a pretty big stress and at sometimes a burden.

So what? Maybe I didn’t have the most accepting and loving environment to grow when I was young. Why do I feel so hung up on this? Why can’t I just move on? I am not sure why some experiences have such an impact on the heart, and I am not looking to be a victim to circumstance. I am just allowing, and when I let go, this is what comes up for me.

It is a really dense experience when love is not present in your life. Maybe that is why all I want to do with my life now is experience love, give love and be loved. So much so, that I flipped my life upside down to go on this adventure. Maybe this joy ride is about more that I could have imagined at first. It is bigger for me than some idea or summer trip. It is about healing my heart and allowing love, true unconditional love, to flow into my life.

BLAH – yes, healing of the heart. Sometimes the tears just need to flow I guess.

I am grateful to be with two beautiful souls on this journey, and to be supported as I move through some of my past. I am grateful for all of the people who have guided me to this point.